


Jake peraltas troubled past

by Amelia209



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Aftermath of Violence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dad terry, Engagement, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt Jake Peralta, Murder, Night Terrors, Past Child Abuse, References to Depression, Sobbing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:28:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23775355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amelia209/pseuds/Amelia209
Summary: Little backstory on Jake's past
Relationships: Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago, Ray Holt & Terry Jeffords, Terry Jeffords & Jake Peralta
Comments: 1
Kudos: 120





	1. Chapter 1

Captain Holt was sitting in his office watching the drama unfold in the squad room. The normally irreverent Detective Peralta came in to the squad room with a suspect in cuffs. The man was big so he didn't really get a good look at Jake until the larger man was seated. Jake was disheveled and had a hell of a shiner forming on his left eye.

Captain Holt watch Jake interrogate the suspect he would yell and get in the larger mans face even when the larger man growled his answers at him. Capt. Holt was intrigued he had never seen this side of Jake before. He knew that he was the most successful detective at the nine-nine but as far as Holt knew he accomplished his success using the tomfoolery that he has come accustomed to seeing from him.

Eventually the larger man was taken to lock up and booked and Jake returned to his seat and sat with his head in his hands for a while. But as soon as Jakes head popped up he was wise cracking and poking fun at his fellow detectives.

Holt called his second in command into the office Sergeant Terry Jeffords. Jeffords stuck his head into the Captains office, "Yes sir can I help you?" Holt motioned for him to come in and shut the door, "Tell me Terry what was the man that Jake brought in arrested for?"

Terry rubbed his face and sighed, "Well Jake was walking to work and he heard a little boy in an alley start to cry and when he went to look and help he found that big jerk beating the crap out of the kid. Jake being Jake stepped in and got a pretty good beating from the guy but ended up subduing him and bringing him in."

Holt thought for a moment, "Jake was different with this guy. I mean I understand, crimes against kids are unforgivable but why do you think Jake was like he was with him?"

Terry looked out at Jake and then back at the Captain, "Oh Captain man you don't know do you?"

Holt, starting to get perturbed said, "Sergeant if I knew I wouldn't have asked you now would I?"

Terry sighed, "I guess not sir, I am sorry. I met Jake on for the first time as a rookie. I was called out to a domestic violence call and wound up at the Peralta home. I got there and I heard his old man yelling at the top of his lungs at his family. I rang the doorbell and a 12-year-old Jake answered the door. Jake had two black eyes and a huge gash on his forehead. I got my gun out and asked him if those were because of his father and Jake just fed me this bull story about tripping down the back stairs in his house. Then his father came to the door and pulled Jake back into the house with a snide, 'you heard the kid now get lost'. I knew something was up in that house so I made it a part of my regular patrol."

Holt looked confused; "You let him stay in that house even when you saw he was hurt?"

Terry looks self-conscious, "I didn't have any proof and the kid told me it was an accident. I didn't believe him though I kept coming around and coming around until one day I came across Jake alone at the park shooting baskets. I came up to him and gave him my card and told him that he could call me anytime day or night and I could help him get away form his father. He smiled at me and pocketed the card." Terry silently staring at the floor for a few minutes with a far away and sad look on his face.

Holt was impatient to hear the rest, "Well did he ever call you?"

Terry took a steading breath, "Yeah he called me two weeks later, he called me the night his Dad had beat his Mom so hard that she died and now the man was chasing Jake and his brother around the house with a gun."

Holt at a little straighter, "Wait his service folder doesn't list any siblings?"

Terry shook his head, "It wouldn't Jakes brother Isaac died that night. When I got to Jake he had a bullet wound in his chest and he was barely holding on. We got him to the hospital just in time. When he finally woke up 4 weeks later, his Mom and brother had been buried in pauper graves and his father had been put in jail and would stay there for the rest of his miserable life. I was the one to explain to Jacob what happened and I held the young man while he cried. We stayed in touch and I was there to help him into the academy and now I am thrilled to see the man he has become. He is a jokester and doesn't always play by the rules but he sure gets results. Criminals like the scum today bring it all back to him but he shake it off and gets back to work."

Captain Holt sat in stunned silence at what he just heard. "Terry thank you for filling me in on Jake. You are right he is a good man and a great detective."

Terry nodded his head and got up to leave, then the captain said, "Oh and Terry, you know you did everything you could for him don't you?"

Terry smiled a sad smile, "Thank you sir but if I had done everything I could for him his mom and brother would still be here and Jake wouldn't have a 15 inch scar running down his chest."

Captain followed Terry into the squad room and caught Jake showing a video of Hitchcock getting kicked in the balls by an old prostitute. Everyone around the computer was laughing and the Captain started to say something but just turned and went into his office.

He opened up Jake's service record and finished reading it and then he looked up the last name Peralta in the prisoner database and he found Abraham Peralta convicted of 15 counts of aggravated child abuse, 2 counts murder and 1 count attempted murder. Sentenced to 4 life terms serving out his sentence at "Sing Sing".

Captain Holt shook his head in approval as he made sure Abraham Peralta will never again be a free man then he closed up the file and put it is his desk and went out into the squad room and gruffly said, "Peralta, with me" as the two men walked out of the precinct and got in the Captain's car Jake asked, "Where we heading to Captain?"

Captain Holt started the car and started driving and then answered, "You and I are going to have lunch together and you are going to tell me about your arrest this afternoon and how we can help that little boy that was hurt".

Jake gave a small smile and agreed.


	2. Wake me up when it's all over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 25 years to the day his mum and brother were bruttaly murdered he still can't forget what happend, Jake has a nightmare and Amy is there for him set around season 5 and a few years after the first chapter

It's been two weeks since Jake proposed to Amy, the absolute love of his life and he couldn't be happier, but he couldn't help but feel the knot of guilt that sometimes passed through his stomach at times.

He's only told Gina, Holt (after an emotional hour in his office after Terry spoke with him), and Terry who has helped him so much over the past 20+ years, what many people in the nine nine don't know is that Terry adopted Jake a week after he woke up, had supported Jake all the way through school and the academy helping him study to forefill his dream of being a detective someday.

When Jake was 23 Terry met Sharon, who got married two years later, with Terry asking Jake to be his best man and Jake with tears in his eyes as he accepts seeing his dad get married to the women of his dreams, 1 and a half years later brought cagney and lacey into the world who love there older brother so much.

After waking up gasping for air sweating profusely his curls sticking to his forehead his breaths coming out ragid and short, 25 years and he can't erase the images of his mum,and brother dead on the kitchen floor while EMTS worked to stop the blood flow from the bullet in his chest.

Jake lied to Amy says he got stabbed while a beat cop on patrol she believes him of course she did, but he still feels guilt for lying to her.

Sighing Jake sits up and looks at the clock on Amy's side of the bed 3:47am, then looks to Amy her hair flowing over her face, a small soft smile on her face, even in sleep she looks beautiful, maybe it's the time of night or the constant lying but Jake thinks enough is enough and decides he's going to tell Amy what really happend 

"Amy,Amy wake up!" Jake whisper shouts, and slowly she pries her eyes open and take one look at Jakes glazed eyes sweaty fore head before sitting up and grabbing his hand, "babe what's wrong" Amy asked concern and worry on her voice her eyebrows furrowed and her face showing worry for Jake 

"Can we talk" Jake mutters quietly not trusting his own voice as it cracks at the end "yeah we can talk whatever it is I'm here for you babe no just take your time" Amy says softly her thumb rubbing soothing circles on his hand grounding him in that moment 

Jake draws in a shaky breath before peeling off his t-shirt exposing his long vertical scar that runs down his chest, with her over hand Amy slowly reaches and and traces the scar with the tip of her fingers feeling sorry for Jake in that moment, before she can ask what's wrong Jake speaks up 

"I first met Terry when I was only 12 years old" Jakes starts, Amy looks at Jake a second of confusion before nodding at him to continue "he was called to our house, someone called as my dad was screaming at my mum again and it was bad the fights between my parents, me and my brother Isaac would always hide in our rooms before dad would eventually come up and take his frustration out on us" 

Jake turns to look at Amy with tears running down his face, she wipes the tears away with the pad of her thumb, as her own vision is starting to get blurred,it doesn't take a genius to see where Jake is going with this as he's never mentioned anything about a brother before, but as far as she can tell his dad definelty did something to his brother 

" I was in the park by myself Isaac was at his friends house and Terry came up to me and handed me a card with his number on told me to call him anytime I need morning or night and he'll be there" Jake paused breifly trying to collect him self and push past the lump that's taken residence in his throat, it's hard thinking about this but he hasn't spoken about his family in years, the last person being Holt.

"Two weeks after Terry gave me that card.. my dad was beating my mum so hard so I called Terry and he just told us to wait and he'll be there soon with backup to help" Jake let's out a sob, as Amy wraps her arms around his shoulder bringing his head to her chest. "He beat my mum to death and started chasing me and my brother around with a gun in his hand.. h.he shot my brother.. p..oint blank in the head in front of my" Jake chokes out, he looks up to see Amy with tears running down her face, her heart aching and constructing for the man in front of her and all he's been through.

Jake reaches out and grabs Amy hand bringing it to his scar on his chest. Amy can feel his heart racing a mile a minute in his chest " my dad shot me straight in the chest" Jake whispers out to the open and cold bedroom, it's quite for a second before Amy speaks, composing herself and wiping her eyes where the tears fell.

"I'm sorry that happened to you babe." Amy mumbles into his hair from where it's resting on top of his. Jake looks straight into Amy's eyes, and Amy can see all the pain, and greif in his eyes at that moment "sorry I lied about my scar I just wasn't to ready to reel you yet, only Holt,Gina,and Terry know."

"It's ok babe I understand, Thank you for telling me,can I ask some questions if you don't mind." Jake thought for a minute before nodding his head ready to answer whatever she said. "Who adopted you" Amy asks softly looking straight into those amazing brown eyes of his., Jake paused a small smile appearing on his face before answering her. "Terry did" 

Amy sat there stunned into silence and at the same time she has a deep gratitude for her sergeant as well now, in her head she's thinking of a young Terry and Jake living together, Jake driving Terry and with his endless energy and charisma. "What was that like living with Terry" " I woke up 4 weeks after the incident,Terry had to break it to me that my family was dead, he allowed me to cry on him for hours, I felt safe with Terry I know he wouldn't hit me or hurt me, and when I told him this he offered to adopt me and look after me as he said he's always wanted kids, which he obviously does now" Jake let out a teary laugh at the little bit of humour that made it's way into the sentence.

"Terry helped me study in school as I was suicidal and suffering from depression, but I don't anymore so don't worry about that" Jake said with certainty and smiled that didn't quite reach his eyes but a smile is a smile, "so long story short Terry basically raised me and to cagney and lacey I'm there brother, as me,Terry,and Sharon a agreed not to tell them" Amy smiled at Jake and leant toward brushing her lips against his kissing him softly before pulling and looking at him.

He had stopped crying and was just looking at Amy with so much love and awe on his gaze, that it made her fall in love with him that little bit more "I love you babe thanking for telling me all of this although I do have one more question that you don't have to answer" Amy said looking a little sheepish before Jake nodded and she started speaking " what happend to your dad" 

Jake looked at her for a minute before speaking "Abraham peralta is serving three life sentences in jail" Jake said happily, at the fact that he never has to fear or see his father again. " oh yeah I love you too Ames always thanks for listening to me rant, and we should really go sleep we have work in 4 hours" Jake said before lying back down and opening his arms up for amy to snuggle back into him.

With her head resting in the crook of his neck and his arms wound tightly around her waist he kiised the top of her forehead and let sleep consume him.

*Amy and Terry on a stakeout a few days later 

Amy sat next to Terry in his minivan waiting for there perp who is believed to be there prime suspect in a string of B&E's the past few weeks 

"Thank you Terry" Amy said to fill the silence of the car " what for Santiago" Amy looked over to Terry grabbed his hand before he could say anything and spoke about how grateful she was for Terry "just Thank you for raising Jake into the amazing man I know today, who is selfless and push everyone before himself,Thank you for taking him in cause if you didn't he might not be hear today, you did a great job with him Terry you should be proud of him his a kickass detective and an amazing fiance soon to be my husband,god I need to get use to that" Amy let out a bubble of laughter from her chest and looked over to Terry.

He wiped his eyes before speaking in a bit of a wobbly voice Amy notes "thanks Amy I tried my best we had some hard times the first few years but I love him so much Sharon does as well he still comes round every weekend for dinner" Terry says wistfully thinking about how far his son has come in recent years " Amy you should join us next week for dinner the girls need to see there aunt Amy, but if you marry Jake you'll be there sister in law" Terry says with a giant grin on his face.

For the rest of the stakeout they talk about Jake and what they love about him and how far he's come and Amy appreciates Terry so much more after that day.

Fin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please kudos and comments are really appreciated I hope you enjoyed this follow up chapter set a few years after the first one


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